Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota presents Takaoki Onishi With Arlene Shrut on Piano December 6 and 7 • Historic Asolo Theater; This rising young star of the opera world joins forces with acclaimed pianist Arlene Shrut for two evenings of inspired interpretations of works by Ravel, Korngold and Rossini

This rising young star of the opera world joins forces with acclaimed pianist Arlene Shrut for two evenings of inspired interpretations of works by Ravel, Korngold and Rossini.

(Sarasota, Florida) Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota presents the rising young baritone, Takaoki Onishi, with Arlene Shrut on piano, Saturday, December 6, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, December 7, 7:30 p.m., at the Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. The concert will feature works by Ravel (“Don Quichotte a Dulcinee”); Korngold (“Tanzlied” from “Die Tote Stadt”); and Rossini (“Largo al factotum della citta” from “Il Barbiere di Seviglia”). Tickets are $25 to $45 and can be purchased online at www.artistseriesconcerts.org or by calling 941-360-7399.

Tokyo native Takaoki Onishi is quickly gaining recognition as one of the most promising baritones of his generation. He’s been awarded top prizes at the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, the Opera Index Vocal Competition, the Licia Albanese-Puccini International Vocal Competition and the Loren L. Zachary Competition. In 2013, Onishi created the leading male role in the successful world premiere of Marty Regan’s opera, “The Memory Stone,” which was presented by the Houston Grand Opera’s East/West program. Along with his operatic roles, Onishi devotes time to his concert and song repertoire, and appears as a soloist in concerts around the world. For more information, visit www.takaoki.com.

Arlene Shrut is a collaborative pianist with a flair for the visionary who combines tradition with transformation. She is also founder and artistic director of New Triad for Collaborative Arts, an innovative educational and arts service organization. Shrut is a senior coach at the Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts of the Juilliard School and a vocal-piano recital faculty coach at the Manhattan School of Music. In addition to successfully coaching emerging vocal artists, Shrut is also an admired keyboard artist, hailed by The New York Times as a “strong and sensitive pianist.”

Since 1996, Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota has presented an ever-expanding annual season of concerts by globally renowned and celebrated emerging artists. The 2014-2015 season runs through May 2015 and includes six concerts in its “Classical Recital Series,” four concerts in its “Pop Series,” and three special concerts. Three “Lunch, Look and Listen” events are also scheduled. For more information about the Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota’s 2014-2015 season, visit www.artistseriesconcerts.org or call 941-306-1202.

2015 Edvard Grieg Festival in Florida, featuring three concerts of lesser-known works performed by Alan Dunbar, bass-baritone, Gregory Martin, piano, the Gloria Musicae Singers, under the direction of Joseph Holt, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, piano,

Njål Sparbo, bass-baritone, and Einar Røttingen, piano. Also featuring lectures, presentations, an exhibit of Grieg’s manuscripts, and a competition for prizes that include a concert tour in Norway. January 9-11. For a complete listing of all events, visit www.griegfestivalinflorida.org.

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota was formed in 1996 as the Artist Series of Sarasota. The group is a non-profit corporation based in Sarasota, FL, that prides itself on presenting several major national and international varieties of concert, opera, orchestral, Broadway and film performances throughout their season. The majority of the performances are staged at the restored Historic Asolo Theater at The Ringling.